Uber is just weeks away from launching its first fleet of autonomous vehicles for its ride-hailing service.

The automotive world is in a state of flux at the moment as it both pushes and gets pulled toward innovation by choice, in response to market demands or by force of law.

An increasing number of automakers are partnering with information technology companies to seek new solutions to issues of fuel consumption and safe transit, while others are simply trying to work around the confines of what must feel like a noose of regulations tightening around their necks.

Before we let you go for the weekend, we’ll touch on both ends of the spectrum in this Friday edition of the Daily Drive-Thru.

Uber just weeks away from autonomous fleet launch

The Ford Fusion autonomous vehicles that were test driven by Uber in Pittsburgh will soon be used to shuttle passengers of its ride-hailing service.

(Handout)

The zero hour is nearly upon. Well, actually it’s nearly upon Pittsburgh: Uber will launch an autonomous car pilot program for its ride-hailing service in the city in time to shuttle black-and-yellow-clad Steeler fans to and from their respective tailgates this fall.

Uber riders in Pittsburgh will be able to order a ride from an autonomous Ford Fusion with just the tap of a touchscreen. The cars will arrive with human backup drivers in case anything goes awry and the rides will be free to those brave enough to trust their lives to a computer system.

An official launch date has not been announced, but the Silicon Valley startup promised to make its autonomous fleet available within the next few weeks, putting it firmly at the front of the pack of companies trying to channel modern technology into self-driving cars, ahead of rival Lyft, which planned on introducing a similar pilot program later this year.

Uber partners with Volvo, buys autonomous truck company

Volvo and Uber will work together to develop new autonomous technologies.

(Volvo)

Is making history by launching a fleet of self-driving taxis not good enough for you? What if I told you Uber also partnered with a major automaker and purchased an autonomous trucking startup, too? Yeah, It Was a Good Dayfor the tech company.

Uber and Volvo are committing a total of $300 million to developing and manufacturing self-driving cars for the aforementioned autonomous fleet. Per the agreement, Volvo will make cars with advanced safety features—including autonomous capabilities—based on its modular Scalable Product Architecture then Uber will purchase them. The partnership will contribute to Volvo’s goal of making its lineup “deathproof” by 2020 while giving Uber a dedicated partner for its driverless cab service, much like Lyft has with Chevrolet.

Uber also purchased Otto, a startup founded by ex-Googlers and focused on developing self-driving semi-trucks to expand its autonomous empire. It’s not yet clear how Otto will fit into Uber’s long-term business plan, but if the technology pans out, it will certainly be a valuable asset.

Genesis introduces Amazon Echo voice controls to G80, G90

Owners of the Genesis G80 can and owners of the G90 will be able to control various function of their cars by simply speaking to the Amazon Echo.

(Genesis)

Remember that video of the guy who hacked his Amazon Echo to start his car by voice? Well, it seems like the engineers at Genesis sure do, because now owners of the G80 and soon owners of the new G90 will be able to use the Echo to not only turn their cars on and off, but also set the cabin temperature, control the locks, flash the lights and sound the horn, all with simple voice commands.

The new feature shows the increased connective technology available to the now-independent luxury brand. Other features in the Genesis Connected Care Package include automatic collision notification and assistance, a monthly vehicle health report and driving information.

Diesel Porsche owners grow impatient with Volkswagen

Owners of diesel-powered Porsche Cayennes are still waiting on a resolution to the faulty software in the vehicles.

(Porsche)

Owners of diesel-powered Porsche Cayennes, along with other vehicles outfitted with Volkswagen’s 3.0-liter TDI engine, are growing frustrated with the German automaker for not addressing their end of the so-called “Dieselgate” scandal. While the roughly 475,000 cars featuring Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter TDI have been guaranteed compensation and either a generous buyback or a technology upgrade, the 3.0-liter folks remain twisting in the wind.

“These owners are very frustrated, and they feel like they’ve been abandoned,” Joe Rice, a South Carolina lawyer who is representing 3.0-liter TDI owners in a lawsuit against Volkswagen, told Bloomberg. There are 85,000 owners of diesel-powered Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 in the U.S., many of whom paid significantly more for their vehicles than their 2.0-liter counterparts.

The Cayenne is the most popular vehicle affected by the illegal software as well as the most expensive. While the Porsche brand typically has strong resale value, some owners are finding it hard to sell their vehicles for a reasonable price because of the ongoing emissions-cheating scandal.

Harley-Davidson proves motorcycles can have emissions scandals, too

Harley-Davidson has agreed to recall 12,000 of its Screamin' Eagle aftermarket engines.

(Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Though not as grand in scope as that of Volkswagen, famed American motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has quietly been fighting its own set of emissions-cheating accusations from the Environmental Protection Agency. After agreeing to pay $15 million in penalties and buyback 12,000 motorcycles, it’s safe to say Harley lost that fight.

The Wisconsin-based hog-maker’s “Screamin’ Eagle” aftermarket engine essentially served as a defeat device, according to the EPA, similar to the software used by Volkswagen, in that it masked vehicle emissions. Harley will pay a $12 million civil penalty as well as $3 million to an organization that works to replace wood-burning stoves with cleaner alternatives.